1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bed linens, and in particular to a top sheet for a bed.
2. Background Art
Children and adults alike have long struggled with the daily chore of making their beds. Generally a set of bed sheets includes a fitted bottom sheet and a flat top sheet that are provided under a decorative and insulative blanket. Conventional top sheets are generally folded into a hospital corner or may be simply tucked in around the base of the bed. A hospital corner is formed by initially folding the bottom portion of the blanket under the mattress and lifting the side portions vertically upwardly while tucking the portion of the sheet that extends below the mattress under the mattress preferably forming a diagonal fold extending from the top corner of the foot end of the bed downwardly toward the head of the bed as the side portion of the sheet hangs downwardly from the side edge of the mattress. Depending upon the skill of the bed maker, the top sheet may have an untidy appearance. With training and practice a bed may be made with good results, however, if the top sheet is not correctly folded the top sheet may be pulled from beneath the mattress or may be too tight. If the top sheet becomes loose it may result in cold feet but if it is too tight it may restrict foot movement in an unacceptable manner.
A top sheet may also be secured to the bed in the wrong position. If too much of the top sheet is folded underneath the mattress the portion of the top sheet on top of the mattress may be insufficient to cover a person's shoulders when lying in the bed. If an insufficient amount of the sheet is folded under the mattress the top sheet becomes too long and is more likely to work loose and not be retained by the weight of the mattress. The person making the bed may have to repeat the process, wasting time and effort if the top sheet is not correctly positioned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,841,588 was issued to the applicants and provides a solution in the form of a specialized “bed maker's blanket” that improves the bed making process. However, the blanket disclosed proposes a top sheet that is sewn on its lower end to a fitted sheet and is buttoned to the lower surface of the bed makers blanket. It has been found that providing a combined top/bottom sheet that may be buttoned to the blanket is not the best solution because of the added expense of a combined top and bottom sheet. Also, additional time is necessary to install the combined top/bottom sheet and button it to the blanket.
Another proposed solution to the problem of providing an improved bed linen product is proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,134,730. In the '730 patent, the solution proposed is to provide a blanket and top and bottom sheet that are buttoned together in a three layer construction. The three layers are then secured to a separate pocket and a pocket support panel. This proposed solution would be expensive to manufacture and is not useable with conventional blankets or conventional fitted bottom sheets.
There is a need for a fast and easy way to make a bed that results in a bed being perfectly made every time and that stays in place while providing minimum restrictiveness to normal movement of a person lying in the bed. In particular, there is a need for a top sheet that facilitates bed making by a child or an adult that may be accomplished easily without training or extensive practice.